Flatbed Trucking

Flatbed Trucking serves the needs of customers transporting special equipment or material that create loads which are wide, over length, over-sized, overweight, or any combination thereof but can still legally move on the road. A Flatbed Trucking service is ideal for construction sites or shipping points that have no available dock or require quick loading and unloading for projects on the move with time sensitive schedules.

At Great Western Transportation we specialize in Flatbed Trucking and make sure that your shipment has the right sized tarps and the proper tie downs for the job so that it will be protected and ready for use at its destination. With Flatbed Trucking there is a variety of trailer types that are designed to fit the many needs required by different shipments either based on size or how they need to be loaded. In addition, we can supply team service for any of your shipments that need to deliver as soon as possible for projects with minimal slack available in their schedule.

Great Western Transportation supplies Flatbed Trucking service through out the Continental United States and Canada on both a Less-than-Truckload (LTL) and Full Truckload (FTL) basis.

Flatbed Trucking specifications and configurations are standard in the industry as illustrated in the diagram below.Consult your Great Western Transportation representative to find out which trailer is right for your shipment.

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Flatbed Trucking Details

Flatbed shipping is the preferred way to transport loads that are not easily transported in an enclosed dry van. Some examples of typical flatbed freight include large equipment, building materials and large machinery. Flatbeds allow for greater dimensional flexibility, which makes them the optimal and safest choice for these types of loads.

Flatbed Trailers are used in several ways and can accommodate almost any load. The advantage to a flatbed trailer is that it may be loaded from the sides, from the top or from behind. Flatbed trailers are the most versatile trailer when it comes to transporting your equipment or cargo.

Trailer Selection Simplified

Our trailer selection guide will help you to determine which trailer may be best suited to accommodate your freight. There are many different equipment and service options for shipping flatbed suitable freight. We can advise on the particular equipment and services best suited to transport your freight.

A standard flatbed is the most common type of flatbed trailer, and is 48 or 53 feet in length (with the former being the most common). Flatbeds are generally about 60 inches high, which means they can carry freight up to 8′ 6″ high and will not have any limitations due to bridges or overhead wires. A standard flatbed can transport freight that is up to 8′ 6″ wide without requiring any special permits. Wider shipments may be moved on a flatbed, but are considered over width and require special permits. Anything over 11’6″ wide will also need a Pilot/Escort Vehicle Operator (P/EVO) in most States. P/EVO is a special car with flashing lights or height poles that escorts the flatbed on the route from origin to destination for safety. Generally, over width shipments can only travel during daylight hours, thus take into account that your transit time may be effected when shipping an over width shipment on a flatbed.

Freight is allowed to overhang but the amount of overhang that is allowed on a trailer without permit varies by the State in which the load is moving through. It’s generally considered that you can’t combine multiple legal loads on a flatbed trailer to create one oversized load and you can’t move an oversized load that could be readily broken down into multiple legal loads (exceptions do apply).

RGN (Removable Gooseneck, Lowboy)
RGN – Removable Gooseneck is used for moving heavy equipment and has a variety of other uses. The RGN is also known as a Lowboy and a Double Drop Deck with detachable deck. The name of this trailer describes its main feature. The neck of this trailer will detach allowing the front of the trailer to become a ramp. Oversized loads are often transported with an RGN, since they come in many different configurations that can accommodate the weight and size of larger loads.

Step Deck (Drop Deck)
Step Deck Trailers also known as drop deck are very similar to a standard flatbed trailer. However, these trailers are ideal for moving equipment that is above the legal height. Step Deck trailers are also useful with ramps to load equipment that can be driven onto the trailer.
Step Deck (Drop Deck) can carry freight up to 10’2” high.

Stretch Trailer
Flatbed Stretch Trailer and RGN Stretch are simply trailers that have the ability to transport extra long loads. These trailers have all the useful advantages of a flatbed trailer but are more tailored to over dimensional load.

Double Drop Trailer
Double Drop Deck has an upper deck in the front and a deck in the rear. The middle of the trailer is often referred to as the well. These trailers are useful for transporting over height loads.
Double Drop: Can carry freight up to 11’6” high
Specialized Trailers are used for many different types of equipment. These types of trailers are used when the standard trailer type may not be used. Many of the specialized trailers are designed for specific equipment or over weight and dimensional issues.

Side Kit Flatbed
A side kit is a 45′ to 48′ flatbed with 4′ removable sides. Used extensively in the steel industry in cases where overhead cranes are used for loading.

Flatbed trailers are the most versatile trailer, below is a list of cargo suitable for flatbed trailers.

Auto Parts

Backhoes

Beverages

Building Materials

CNC Machines

Construction Equipment

Conveyors

Coolers

Cranes

Crushers

Dump Trucks

Excavators

Fabricated Steel

Firetrucks

Forklifts

Generators

Lumber

Mining Equipment

Pipeline Construction and Replacement

Raw Materials

Refinery Equipment

Scaffolding

Skid Steers

Solar Panels

Steel

Tank Farm Equipment

Tile

Towers

Tractors

Tubing

Wind Blades

We provide our customers with access to flatbed capacity anywhere in the United States and Canada. We understand that requirements differ for each customer. Great Western Transportation can provide an assortment of equipment types and sizes along with any necessary components such as Conestoga covers, tarps, straps, chains or coil racks.

We will provide you a stress free solution for basic flats, step decks, double drops, RGNs, maxis, over dimensional, overweight, expedited, and flatbed LTL, as well as applicable permits and escort services.

Whatever you need to transport, Great Western Transportation has hauled it before and has the necessary expertise to make your freight shipment a cost effective success.